


Unspoken Desire

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: M/M, this didn't go quite the way I was expecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-26
Updated: 2013-04-26
Packaged: 2017-12-09 14:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/775020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hathaway works too hard; Innocent tries to send him home; there are complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unspoken Desire

“Sergeant Hathaway, I told you to go home an hour ago and yet you are still here,” Chief Superintendant Innocent was not happy.  “What does Inspector Lewis do when you ignore his instructions?”

“He puts me across his knee and spanks my backside,” Hathaway replied.  “My naked backside,” he added.

“I see.”  The tone of Innocent’s voice made Hathaway look up.  And then realise that he had spoken out loud his secret desire.

“Go home, Hathaway.  Get some sleep.  I will see you in my office at 11 sharp tomorrow morning.  And do not come in before that.”

Hathaway couldn’t get out quickly enough.  He couldn’t believe what he’d done and dreaded the outcome.  Lewis was in Manchester for a long weekend and Hathaway had wanted to impress him by sorting out all the different evidence they’d accumulated on the case they were engaged on.  He knew he had spent too long working on it, but he hadn’t realised how tired he was until he’d said those particular fateful words. 

On reaching his flat he went straight to bed, burying his face in his pillow and almost shedding tears as he thought again about how his words had ruined not only all the hard work he’d put in that weekend but also the growing relationship he was enjoying with the inspector.

*****

The following morning Lewis was at work early.  Innocent put her head round the door and said “Robbie, can I have a word with you in my office, please.”

*****

Hathaway was putting his tie on ready to head to work.  He had left it to the last minute, searching desperately for anything he could say in mitigation to Innocent.  His doorbell rang and he went to answer it, thinking it probably a delivery for a neighbour out at work.  He opened the door and saw Lewis standing before him.

“Can I come in?”

Hathaway stood to one side to let him in.  He watched as Lewis walked into his living room and sat down on a dining chair.  He tried desperately to think of something suitable to say that wasn’t “I have to go soon.  I said something dreadful to Innocent last night.”

But before he could find the right words, Lewis said, “Come here.”

Hathaway started to walk towards Lewis.  As he did so he realised that this was the way the scenario always began in his head; Lewis would be sitting on a dining chair and he would be called over to lie across his knees and accept whatever punishment was meted out.  He swallowed; suddenly this didn’t seem like such a good idea.

He realised that Lewis was smiling at him.  “You silly lad,” Lewis added.  “Innocent suggested I come over and sort things out.  Why don’t you make us both a cup of coffee and then you can explain to me what is currently going through that mixed up brain of yours.”

Whilst Hathaway made the coffee, Lewis reflected on the conversation he had had with Innocent,. 

_It began with Innocent asking “How’s your sergeant doing at the moment?”_

_“He’s doing well.  Need to keep a firm hand on him at times though.”_

_“Literally?”_

_“Sorry, ma’am.  What do you mean?”_

_“Do you mean you physically need a firm hand?”_

_“No.  Well, only when I hauled him out of the canal last week.”_

_“Quite.  I thought that was the case.”_

_“Is there something I ought to know, ma’am?”_

_“Hmm, no.  But you do need to talk to him.  You must have noticed the way he’s been following you around lately.”_

_“He’s my bagman.  That’s his job.”_

_“But bagmen don’t normally follow their guvnors looking like teenage girls following their latest crush.”_

_Lewis had laughed at this._

_“Although generally the bagmen don’t receive any encouragement from their guvnors either,” Innocent added._

_“What!”_

_“As I said, Robbie, you need to talk to Hathaway.  I had told him to see me in my office at 11, but it might be a rather better idea if you were to go to him instead.”_

Hathaway gave Lewis a cup of coffee and sat down next to him at the dining table.  Lewis pondered the best thing to say to put Hathaway at ease.

“You’ve done a great job with all the material for our case,” he said.  “It must have taken you ages.  I’m surprised Innocent didn’t tell you to go home.”

“Sh-sh-she did!”  Hathaway began to blush.

Lewis felt confused.  “You do realise that whatever she may say, she is happily married?”

“What? Yes, of course I know that.”

“So why has she sent _me_ to talk to you?”

Lewis realised that Hathaway’s hand was shaking so much that he was spilling his coffee.  Without thinking about it he put his own hand out to steady him.  Hathaway became totally rigid.

Lewis gave him a keen look.  “Oh!”

“I’m sorry sir.  It’s-it’s-it’s ...” Hathaway looked as if he was either going to burst into tears or run away; and seemed trapped by his indecision.

Lewis stood up.  Hathaway slumped down in his chair, misery all across his face.

“Maybe this will help,” Lewis said as he put his arms around the younger man and hugged him.  “It seems from what Innocent implied earlier that we both need to share how we are feeling a little more.”

Lewis thought he heard a muffled “yes, sir” but couldn’t be sure.  However the fact that Hathaway had reciprocated by putting his arms around his waist gave him a reasonable indication of what the answer was.

“And it might be easier to do that if we adjourned to your settee,” Lewis added.  He smiled as he felt Hathaway nod his head against his chest.


End file.
